Black Rock comes to the Valley

The first of two Black Rock Coffee Bar locations to open in the Treasure Valley this year debuted Sept. 30 in Meridian, at 1757 W. Chinden Blvd., near the corner of Linder Road.

The Oregon-based franchiser is known for its signature roasted coffee beans and modern, urban design. The stand-alone building has inside seating and a drive-through.

Expect to find espresso drinks, drip coffee, hot chocolate, Italian sodas, smoothies and milkshakes. The coffee beans, which come from various parts of the world, are roasted in small batches at the corporate headquarters in Portland. The company is working on a special blend for cold-brew coffee, which they will be introducing in the coming months.

36th Street Bistro wine dinner

Chef Joe Leseberg and his staff will serve a seasonal four-course tasting menu ($45 per person) paired to select wines from different wine regions around the world.

Start things off with harvest vegetable soup (hominy, braised kale and sage) that should play well with a glass of Chateau Pilet Blanc from France.

The second course includes a choice of kohlrabi fritters with goat cheese crème and a fried duck egg (served with Les Jamelles Pinot Noir from France) or a caramel apple salad with spiced walnuts, jicama and endive paired with Gordon Estate Chardonnay from Washington.

For the third course, choose between pan-roasted rockfish with Pernod creamed spinach (served with a red blend from Mercer Canyons in Washington) and brown sugar-smoked brisket with creamy ham grits and Parmesan-dusted parsnip fries (served with Gravel Bar Cabernet from California).

The dessert course includes a choice of baked plums with honey-granola crumble and nectarine ice cream (served with Ruggeri Prosecco from Italy) or a Banana Blondie with peanut butter, toasted meringue and chocolate ganache paired with Pinnacoli Primitivo from Italy.